Hide and Seek
by Fairy Dell
Summary: Tikki and Plagg have been helping superheroes for centuries, which leaves them a little bored. So they play a game to make things interesting. But when their game goes wrong, Marinette and Adrien are left with a bit of a problem.
1. Mix-Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, nor the show they come from.**

* * *

Plagg eyed the small bag, completely still except for his twitching tail.

It had to be her.

He had been watching the bag for the last few days, hoping to catch another flash of the red and black blur he had glimpsed nearly a week ago.

He was so going to win this round.

For as long as there had been Ladybugs and Chat Noirs, there had been Tikki and Plagg. And while being an ageless magical being certainly had its perks, it got a little tedious after a while.

So they came up with a game.

Whenever new Ladybugs and Chat Noirs were chosen, the game began. The two kwami would try their hardest to find each other. And it was usually fairly easy. The magic of their Miraculous was such that their chosen wielders were often close to each other in their civilian lives. It made for better teamwork and more efficient fights, as villains seemed drawn to them.

It was essentially a glorified game of hide and seek.

Plagg, to his dismay, had lost the last five rounds to Tikki, who seemed to take pleasure in showing up at the most inopportune times. He was more than ready to return the favor.

So he watched the small round bag next to the seat behind his boy's.

Just as the bell rang and the students were dismissed for the day, he sat it twitch. A small red _something_ peeked out of top of the bag and Plagg ducked down before she could see him.

The world tilted as Adrien picked up his bag and joined the throng of students leaving the building. Plagg crouched, peeking out through a small opening in the zipper.

"Hey, Nino, Adrien!" a girl called. Plagg cackled. The voice belonged to the best friend of the owner of Tikki's bag and the two were almost never apart.

"Marinette and I were just heading to the movies. Do you want to join us?" The voice grew louder and the small white bag entered Plagg's view. Now was his moment.

He barely registered Adrien's regretful "Sorry, I have a piano lesson, maybe tomorrow?" as he phased through the gym bag and dove for the round white bag.

"Surprise!" he yelled.

Silence.

Plagg scratched his ear. "I could have sworn she was here," he mumbled, looking around. He flew around the small space.

"Ah-ha!" he said. "Cookie crumbs. She must have been here."

But where had she gone?

Plagg peeked his head out the top of the bag, only to see the door of Adrien's car slam shut, a small red figure poking her head out of his gym bag. Plagg's eyes grew wide as the car pulled away from the school.

He was stuck.

Not only was he stuck, he was stuck with Ladybug.

This was not going to end well.

"Tikki," Marinette whispered after she and her friend had gone their separate ways. "Did you hear that? Adrien might come to the movies with us!"

"Hooray," Plagg drawled, rolling his eyes. "Do you have any cheese?"

The poor girl froze, throwing a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. "Who are you? What did you do with Tikki?!"

Not going to end well at all.

* * *

Perhaps she had gotten overconfident.

After all, she has won the last seven rounds in a row, no matter what that cat claimed. That was something she was quite proud of. And she had been so determined to make it eight.

It wasn't all that hard to locate Plagg. The dumb cat wasn't nearly as sneaky as he thought he was. She had seen his ears poking out of the bag in front of hers weeks ago. She just hadn't been quite sure how to proceed.

On the one hand, she absolutely wanted to win. At almost any cost.

On the other hand, the bag belonged to one Adrien Agreste, the boy her Marinette had a massive crush on. And in the past, once Tikki and Plagg had found each other, things tended to get complicated.

Eventually Marinette could come to be grateful for the fact that the boy she pined over was the Chat who constantly flirted with her. But Tikki had a feeling that unless he revealed himself very carefully, Marinette was likely to do something reckless and emotional, perhaps even try to drive the poor boy away.

But she had to act. She had seen the way Plagg was eyeing her bag. It was only a matter of time before he realized she was there and she couldn't let him win.

She just couldn't.

So when Alya dragged Marinette over to ask Adrien and Nino if they wanted to go to the movies, she made her move. She carefully flew out of the bag, hiding behind Marinette's jacket. When no one was looking, she dove for the small opening in the zipper.

"Ha! I win again!" she cried.

To her surprise, there was no cry of outrage. No argument about who had won or how many times.

No Plagg.

For a moment, Tikki panicked. She couldn't have been . . . wrong, could she?

Impossible.

She looked around again and saw the evidence of him. Namely, an empty container of camembert cheese. She felt the bag move and peeked through the opening. To her surprise, she saw Plagg's wide green eyes staring at her from Marinette's small purse.

Oh no.

This was not good.

This was a disaster in the making! If Tikki was separated from Marinette and Plagg was separated from Chat Noir, nothing would go right. They wouldn't be able to transform. And because they were magically prohibited from revealing their bearers' identities, Tikki couldn't just tell Adrien who to return her to.

Tikki took a deep breath to keep from panicking. She was a centuries-old magical being. She could figure out a solution to this.

She had faced worse. Like Plagg after too much cheese.

Thankfully, she had plenty of time to plan. Adrien was whisked from piano lessons to a photoshoot to a tutoring session before he finally had a little free time at home. He collapsed onto his bed, the bag beside him.

"You've been awfully quiet today," Adrien observed.

"Um, I don't know how to say this, but there's been a bit of a mix-up," Tikki said, slowly emerging.

Adrien stared at the small red creature, eyes wide.

"I'm Tikki," she said, once it became apparent that the boy couldn't utter a word. "I'm Ladybug's kwami."

* * *

 **I've fallen into the Miraculous fandom and can't get up!**

 **That's okay, though. I rather like it here.**

 **And if it wasn't obvious, I rather love Tikki and Plagg. So you guys get a story about them.**

 **Special thanks, as always, to star-eye for beta-reading and helping me figure out whether to capitalize names of cheeses. You know, the important questions in life.**

 **I'll be back soon with another chapter, I promise!**

 **Catch ya later, lovelies!**

 **-FD**


	2. Switched

**Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.**

* * *

Adrien hadn't spoken in two minutes.

Tikki was trying to be patient, to give him time to process, but she needed to get back to Marinette.

"Excuse me," she said, tentatively floating closer to the blond boy. "Are you okay, Adrien?"

"How do you know my name?"

Tikki froze. "I heard someone say it while I was in your bag."

"Oh."

"I'm sure you have lots of questions for me. I'll do my best to answer them."

Adrien looked a little overwhelmed, likely unable to decide what to ask first. "Are you hungry? I've got a pretty big stash of cheese up here for Plagg."

Tikki beamed. "That's so kind of you! And I am a little peckish, but I don't like cheese, especially that nasty, smelly stuff Plagg eats." A shudder ran through her tiny body.

"What can I get you, then?"

"Do you have any cookies? Or any sort of sweets?"

Adrien smiled. "Let me run down to the kitchen. I'll see what I can find."

"Thank you!" Tikki called as he left the room. She couldn't believe how differently the boy acted from his superhero alter ego. This boy was polite and a little shy. And yet she could still see the strength in his heart, the playfulness that hid just under the surface.

Plagg had chosen well.

And it was no wonder Chat was so carefree. Between the schedule Marinette kept posted on her wall and the afternoon spent in his bag, it was obvious to the small creature that Adrien had little freedom. It made sense that he would embrace his other identity so fully.

Before long, the door to the bedroom that was almost as big as Marinette's family's apartment over the bakery opened again. Tikki dove back into the bag, only coming out when she was sure Adrien was still alone.

"I didn't know what kind of cookie you like, so I brought a few different ones. I hope you like them, Tikki."

To the boy's surprise, the kwami flew up and hugged his nose before diving for the cookies.

"You're very different than Plagg," he observed.

"Well, you're different from Ladybug. Kwamis are different, just like people are."

"Does this mean that Plagg is with Ladybug?"

"Yes," Tikki admitted.

"I know that she doesn't want us to reveal our identities, but this is an emergency. If you just tell me who she is, we can switch you back before an akuma attacks."

Tikki sighed. "I wish I could, but I can't."

"Look, I know Ladybug doesn't want me to find out who she is, but there really isn't much of a choice at this point! How else are we going to get you back to her and Plagg to me?" Adrien's hands were clasped and he looked like he was two seconds away from falling to his knees to beg.

"You don't understand," Tikki said sadly. "I want to tell you, but I can't. Centuries ago, when we were bound to our miraculous stones, part of the spell prohibited us from ever revealing our bearers' identities. It was to ensure their safety, your safety, in the event we were ever separated. As much as I want to tell you who Ladybug is, I just can't."

"I had no idea. I'm sorry," Adrien breathed. After a short pause, he asked, "How did you and Plagg end up switching places anyway?"

Adrien didn't think it was possible, but the small creature got even redder. "Well, that doesn't really matter. What matters is getting us back!"

He smiled at the little bug's enthusiasm. "If you can't tell me who Ladybug is, can you at least give me clues? Like when did you two switch?"

Tikki nodded. "I'll do my best, but I don't want to give it away. Plagg and I switched after lunchtime, but before dinner. You may find it hard to believe, but you cross paths with Ladybug almost everyday. If you just go about your day normally tomorrow, Plagg and I should be able to switch back without any problems."

Adrien sat in shocked silence, eyes wide. All this time, his lady was already in his life? He saw her almost every day? How could he not recognize her?

Tikki seemed to realize his brain was overloaded with possibilities and wisely kept quiet while he processed.

"Well then, I guess we'll get you back tomorrow. No worries."

"I hope so," Tikki muttered, "but who knows what mischief Plagg will get her into."

The next day, Adrien woke up extra early. He knew it didn't make sense to spend additional time getting ready if he saw Ladybug often, but today he was aware of it. So he wanted to look his best.

To his surprise, Tikki didn't tease him like a certain black kwami did. In fact, she helpfully pointed out which jacket Ladybug might like best and reassured him that he looked quite handsome. Finally, he went off to school.

Throughout the day, he periodically checked his bag to see if Plagg had returned. Each time he was greeted by Tikki's sweet smile and a wave, but he could tell she was getting worried as well. By the time classes ended, she was frowning.

"We should have run into her by now," she whispered to him.

"So she goes to my school?" Adrien tried to keep his voice down, but he was ecstatic at the revelation.

"Yes." Tikki ducked out of sight as Adrien approached Nino and Alya.

"Hey guys, I'm really sorry but I can't make it to the movies today. Something's come up."

"That's fine. Marinette didn't come to school today, so we'll plan for another day instead."

He bid them farewell and waved off his driver, grateful that he happened to have a free afternoon.

"Where to now, Tikki?" he asked.

She hesitated. "The Dupain-Cheng bakery," she said, her tone heavy with resignation.

"Why there? Oh wait, Ladybug knows Marinette, right? Could Marinette help us find Ladybug? Or are you hoping she'll be visiting her? After all, Marinette wasn't at school today. Maybe she's sick. Should we bother her?"

Tikki couldn't believe that suave Chat, that collected Adrien, was rambling like Marinette. It was rather endearing, but she was shocked at how oblivious the boy was. He really couldn't see what was right in front of him.

Well, in his defense, she did sit behind him most of the time.

Still.

Tikki nearly yelled in frustration, wanting so badly to to tell him the truth, but she couldn't.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud explosion. She and Adrien exchanged a look as civilians ran by, screaming about an akuma.

"If there's an akuma, that's where Ladybug will be," Adrien said. "This is our chance to get you and Plagg back where you belong."

* * *

 **Wow, this story has gotten an absolutely huge (at least, for me) response in the last day. So you lovely people get another chapter. :D**

 **Special thanks, as always, to star-eye for beta-reading, motivating me, and helping me brainstorm. She's seriously the best. Like, for real.**

 **For some reason, reviews are showing up on the site, but I can see what you guys are saying via my email and I'm so grateful for your support and encouragement! I hope you enjoyed this and that the rest of the story lives up to your expectations.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now. Look for another chapter soon!**

 **Catch ya later, lovelies!**

 **-FD**


	3. Scavenger Hunt

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Miraculous. And that's okay.**

* * *

"Who are you?" Marinette asked, breathless.

"The name's Plagg. I'm Chat Noir's kwami and I love cheese. Got any to spare?"

"Why are you here? Where's Tikki?"

Plagg sighed. He wasn't going to get cheese anytime soon, was he?

"Unfortunately, there's a small problem. Tikki and I have managed to swap places."

"So she's with Chat?"

Plagg nodded.

"This is a disaster. What if an akuma attacks? I don't suppose I could use you to transform?"

"No way! You'd have to have my ring to do that. And even then, it's nearly impossible for someone to use me to transform when I've bonded with someone else."

Marinette rubbed her temples. "Of course. How could the two of you do this to us?"

Plagg scratched his head. "Well, it's kind of a long story."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "I've got time."

"Fine," he sighed dramatically. He had a hard time believing that the shy clumsy girl from school could be Ladybug, but he recognized that determined look. Also the eyes and the hair, now that he thought about it. He settled on Marinette's desk and she sat in front of him. "Millennia ago, Tikki and I were chosen to be the guardians and guides of two superheros. Whenever the need arose, new people would take on the mantles to protect the world. It was a grave responsibility."

Marinette nodded, caught up in the story.

"But it was so boring."

She nearly fell out of her chair at his surprising words. "What?"

Plagg shrugged. "So Tikki and I started a game. We had noticed that our heroes ended up being close to each other in their everyday lives, either physically or emotionally, sometimes both. We decided that the next time we were awoken, we would compete to see who could find the other first. Then it became a tradition. Unfortunately, we both figured it out and tried to surprise each other today. All we managed to do was switch spots."

He pounded his small paws against the desk. "And I was finally going to beat her too! She's won the last five rounds in a row. Oh sure, she claims it's seven in a row, but that second one was a tie and she knows it!" His voice trailed off into incoherent growls and hisses. Marinette slowly backed away.

"Alright. So how do we get you back to Chat Noir?" she asked, eager to change the subject. "I really didn't want us to reveal our identities to each other, and certainly not like this, but I don't see any other options. Tell me who he is and we can switch you and Tikki back."

"Mmmm . . . nope."

"What?"

"You'll have to figure something else out."

"Why won't you tell me?" Marinette picked up the small cat-like creature and held him at eye-level. Plagg gulped at the steely look in her blue eyes.

"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't. Not matter how much I want to, I can't reveal my Chat Noir's identity."

Marinette relaxed, placing him back on the desk. "Oh, I see."

She thought in silence for a few moments before Plagg's stomach growled.

"You know, I was serious before when I asked if you had any cheese," he said, rolling over pathetically. "I'm starving!"

"Oh, of course! I'm so sorry!" Marinette raced away and came back after a few minutes with a plate of cheese, only to find the small cat had disappeared. "Plagg?"

"Got a bit of a crush, do ya?" His voice floated over from the far wall. The wall dedicated to a certain blond-haired, green-eyed model who sat in front of her in class.

Marinette raced over, trying to keep Plagg from seeing what could very easily be called a shrine.

It was too late.

"He's not terrible looking, but my Chat is much handsomer," Plagg snickered. His eyes zeroed in on the plate in Marinette's hand. "Oh, you're a lifesaver, Ladybug! You're a queen, a jewel among women!" He swallowed a hunk of cheese without chewing. "A true hero. I see why Chat's so hung up on you."

Marinette blushed. "Maybe he feels that way about Ladybug, but I doubt he'd feel that way about plain old me."

"I don't know, he seems to like Marinette well enough."

Her eyes sharpened. "That's right. You said Ladybugs and Chat Noirs were usually close. Plus, you and Tikki managed to swap places without us noticing. I know you did it after lunch, because I talked to Tikki then. And I found you just after I got home from school. Which means Chat and I go to the same school, right?"

"Wow, you really are the brains of the operation, aren't you?" Plagg couldn't help but be impressed at her observations. If he knew Adrien, and he certainly did for all that he seemed to ignore his surroundings, the boy was probably too flustered to figure any of that out. Tikki probably had to spell it all out for him.

"So if you point me in the right direction at school tomorrow, we can cross his path and you and Tikki can switch back without any secrets getting out. Perfect!" Marinette couldn't contain her squeal of excitement.

By the time Marinette left for school the next morning, she was ready to have Tikki back. Not that she didn't like Plagg, he was just a little too sarcastic for her taste. At one point the two of them got in a snark-off and ended up just rolling their eyes at each other over and over again.

She was beginning to see where Chat got his attitude.

And she started to wonder, too, what he was like as a civilian. Was his personality similar, or was he more like her, different but the same in small ways? Did she know him? What if he was in her class? That would be embarrassing, she was sure she would recognize him if he was.

They were nearly at the school when Plagg, nestled in one of her pigtails, hissed, "I see him!"

"Where?" she whispered.

"Turn left. It's straight ahead."

Marinette hesitated. Left was away from school. Then again, was it really all that surprising that carefree-Chat was skipping school? With one last glance toward the busy schoolyard, Marinette turned and followed Plagg's directions.

Every two or three blocks, she turned a different direction.

"Turn here," Plagg said. "I see him, about a block away."

Then two minutes later it was, "No wait, we passed him. Go back."

It felt like she had walked for miles. "What is that dumb cat up to?" she muttered.

She tried to ignore her snickering pigtail, but the urge to strangle the kwami until he gave her a straight answer was growing stronger and stronger.

Before she could completely lose patience, an explosion shook the ground.

"I am Choremageddon! You will do your chores or die!" a voice screamed from down the block.

"What are the odds that Tikki and Chat run toward the akuma without thinking things through?" Marinette asked.

"Very high." Plagg floated out to get a better look.

They looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Guess we'd better go save them," Plagg said.

"Please. I want Tikki back."

"And I want my high quality camembert. Not that this hasn't been fun, but it's just not the same without good cheese."

* * *

 **Wow, I have been so blown away by how supportive you guys have been. I wish I could respond to each review, but they still aren't showing up on the site. But I do see them and appreciate them. They make me smile.**

 **Virtual hugs and cookies to anyone who can guess what exactly Plagg was doing to poor Marinette to make her walk all over Paris.**

 **Special thanks, as usual, to star-eye. I think I made her fall out of her chair laughing at one point, which is always gratifying.**

 **I'm hoping to finish this story (2 more chapters!) this week before I leave on a road trip, so lucky you!**

 **Catch ya later, lovelies!**

 **-FD**


	4. Return

**Disclaimer: I own exactly none of these characters or the series from which they came.**

* * *

The street was a mess.

Soapy water streamed down the sidewalks and walls. Brooms and mops chased bystanders up the street. Feather dusters flew in circles above their heads, periodically dive-bombing civilians and causing violent sneezing attacks.

"Feathers," Adrien said with disgust, wrinkling his nose. "Why did it have to be feathers?"

He hurried through the crowd, desperately looking for Plagg.

"How are we supposed to find them in this crowd?" Adrien griped.

"You could always try turning around."

Adrien whipped around and nearly shouted with joy at the sight of the cat-like creature. He grabbed him and hugged him tight.

"Calm down kid, I can't breathe," Plagg choked out.

Adrien released him. "I am so glad to see you."

"And I'm glad to see you too," Plagg said, hugging Adrien's arm.

"That's surprisingly emotional of you," Adrien said.

"Yeah, yeah, we're happy I'm back, now do you have any camembert? Ladybug does not have access to high quality cheese. I'm dying here!"

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Of course. I don't know why I expected anything else from you." He opened his bag. "You know I never go anywhere without some."

"He's always been like this, Adrien. Don't mind him," Tikki said, floating out of Adrien's jacket.

"Tikki! Good to see you again!" Plagg spoke through a mouthful of the smelly cheese, spraying crumbs on them both. "I think we have to call this round a tie. So sorry to break your streak."

"Where's Ladybug?"

Plagg pointed. "I left her down that way. You might want to hurry. I didn't let her know I was leaving. She's probably panicking right about now."

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded. "How could you?"

"It's just so funny to see her get all worked up," Plagg snickered. "I never would have pegged her for your Ladybug, but it somehow makes sense."

"Of course it does. She's the perfect Ladybug." With that, Tikki zipped off down the street.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me who Ladybug is?" Adrien asked.

"No can do."

"Figures. Well, we'd better take care of this akuma. Hopefully Tikki will find Ladybug fast."

At the other end of the block, Marinette was calling for Tikki as loudly as she dared.

"This will never work," she groaned. "We'll never find them at this rate. There are too many people here. What are we going to do?"

Her emotional outburst was met with silence, which struck her as rather odd. If she had learned anything about Plagg, it was that he never missed an opportunity for a sarcastic comment or teasing remark.

"Plagg?" she whispered. "Where are you?"

Nothing.

"Great, now I've lost him. What kind of Ladybug am I, losing two kwamis in two days? This is a disaster. Tikki's going to leave me. She'll find someone better to be Ladybug, like Alya. Alya would make a fantastic hero. She wouldn't trip over her own feet, or hit her partner in the head with her weapon, or lose the source of her power! Why did I get picked in the first place?"

"Because you care," a small, sweet voice said. Marinette whirled around to see Tikki hovering behind her.

"Tikki!" Marinette yelled. She slapped her hands over her mouth, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed the red creature. "Where have you been?"

"I could ask you the same thing! Chat Noir and I have been trying to find you all day. Why weren't you at school?" Tikki scolded.

"Now's not the time," Marinette said, eyeing the akuma down the street. "We've got to stop that akuma."

By the time she transformed and swung into action, Chat Noir had engaged the akuma. He was trying, and failing, to restrain her. Unfortunately, he found out rather quickly that the rubber gloves on her hands spewed out soapy water.

"You're looking rather wet, chaton." Ladybug landed beside him. "Having a little trouble, are we?"

"Bubble trouble." Chat shook off as much water as he could, looking entirely uncomfortable. "I think the akuma is in her rubber gloves. She seemed worried when I got close to them."

"Well then, let's get this show on the road."

"No need to make a soap opera out of this. It shouldn't be too difficult."

And it wasn't, luckily. Turns out the girl had gotten frustrated with a roommate who forgot to do her chores.

Fight finished, akuma cleansed, and damage repaired, Ladybug and Chat Noir stood in awkward silence. They exchanged a look and without a word, leapt to the rooftop. Once they were away from bystanders and reporters, they both started speaking.

"You go first," Chat insisted.

"I just wanted to thank you for looking after Tikki," Ladybug said. "I can't believe that she and Plagg got swapped like that, but I'll be sure to talk to her. I'm sure this won't happen again."

"But what if it does?" Chat asked softly. "I know you want to keep our identities a secret, but what if something like this happens again? What if one of us gets hurt? If we have to find each other outside the suits again, it's better that we know who the other is. It's not any more dangerous for us to know. If anything, we can keep each other safe. We could meet up without drawing attention in the suits."

Ladybug sighed and started pacing.

"I know it's not what you want, my Lady. But I think it's what's best."

"You're right."

"I mean, it's not that big a...wait, what?"

"I said you're right."

"Really? I thought it would take a lot more than that to convince you."

"Chat, I've been trying to find you all day. Plagg was leading me on some sort of wild goose chase all over the city. I'd rather not repeat the experience if at all possible. And after all this time, I trust you."

She took a deep breath.

"I think it's time we share our identities with each other."

* * *

 ***pokes head out of hiding***

 **Please don't hate me.**

 **I'm so sorry I didn't update this sooner, but I was traveling, then star-eye was at Disney (again, can you believe it?), then star-eye was traveling, and I was back at work.**

 **It's been a crazy few weeks.**

 **But fear not, dear readers, I am working frantically on the fifth and final chapter of Hide and Seek, which I hope to post later tonight. Don't worry, star-eye has agreed to help, so she'll pester me until I get it done. She's good like that.**

 **She's also good at beta-reading and editing, which she did for this chapter. Thanks ;)**

 **You will see me soon with the final chapter, I promise.**

 **Catch ya later, lovelies!**

 **-FD**


	5. Exchange

**Disclaimer: Miraculous Ladybug and its characters are not and never have been mine.**

* * *

"So," Chat said, drawing out the word. "How do you want to do this?"

Ladybug fidgeted. "Well, we should probably find somewhere private. We can't risk anyone seeing us."

"Right. Where is that?"

"Well, if we're revealing identities…" she mumbled. "Follow me."

Chat followed Ladybug over the rooftops. The buildings grew more and more familiar until they landed on a balcony. Chat peered over the edge.

"Hey, I know this place. This is the bakery, Marinette's house. Good call, since we both know her. She's not the type to spy and if she did see who we are, she wouldn't say anything. But are you sure we should bother her? She wasn't in school today, what if she's sick?"

Ladybug stared at him in disbelief. "You really are pretty dense, aren't you? I guess I'll go first. Tikki, spots off!"

Chat shut his eyes against the blinding white light that surrounded his lady. When it died out, he cracked open one eye to take a peek. Both eyes shot open as he tried to process what he was seeing. Or rather, who was standing next to Tikki, looking adorably nervous.

It was Marinette.

Marinette, who couldn't walk down a hallway without tripping. Marinette, who couldn't speak two sentences to him. Marinette, who stood up to Chloe and cared so much about her friends and classmates.

"Wow, I feel stupid," he breathed. "I feel like it's so obvious now."

"Really?" Marinette asked. "I'm a lot different as Ladybug than I am as Marinette. You might not believe this, but I'm really pretty clumsy. Just this morning, I ran into a wall. For no reason."

"But the core of you, the part that cares so much about other people, is the same. And yes, I know exactly how clumsy you are. We kind of know each other outside the suits." Chat's eyes grew fearful. "Actually, I don't think you like me outside the suits."

"What? No way, I like almost everyone I know! The only person I can think of that I don't like is. . ." she trailed off and eyed him suspiciously. "You are a boy, aren't you?"

"What?" Chat shrieked. "Of course I am! What kind of question is that?"

"I know, it's just, the only person I don't get along with is Chloe. I mean, when I first met Adrien I didn't like him, but that's only because I knew he was Chloe's friend and I thought he was playing a trick on me, but it all turned out to be a misunderstanding. I know better now. He's kind and thoughtful and just about perfect. I know he has to put up with a lot with how busy he is, but he always seems so calm. And then there's me, who can barely speak coherently around him. He must think I'm an idiot." Marinette's shoulders dropped. She shook her head. "But you don't want to hear me go on about my crush."

Chat couldn't believe his ears. "Wait, you have a crush on Adrien Agreste?"

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you know me outside the suit? Because I'm pretty sure everyone knows I have a crush on him. Except maybe Adrien."

Chat scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact.

"No, no, no," Marinette said, eyes wide and breathing rapid. Tikki settled on her shoulder and patted her cheek comfortingly. "You aren't him, are you? Please tell me you aren't, not after all that stuff I said."

"Sorry Princess."

Without warning, Chat's transformation ran out. Plagg groaned as he floated to a nearby chair and flopped on it, leaving an uncertain Adrien facing a slowly panicking Marinette.

"Um, surprise?"

He had to admit, he wasn't entirely surprised when she disappeared down the trapdoor without a word. Tikki floated over to him and patted the top of his head.

"Give her a few minutes. She needs to process."

"And take down all the pictures of you she has on her walls," Plagg added with a cackle.

Adrien turned bright red, but eyed the trapdoor. Adrien would give her space, would let her come to terms with things and come back when she was ready.

But Chat. . . Chat would sneak down there. Chat would snoop.

He stood there, torn. Marinette liked Adrien, so maybe he should act more like the quiet student he usually was. Then again, he never felt more like himself than he did as Chat. And he always felt like he could be himself around Ladybug. He reached for the door and stopped. He started to pull his hand back, then placed it on the handle.

"Oh, just go down already," Plagg said, rolling his eyes. "She's got backbone, but this is probably a little much for her to deal with. Offer her some cheese, or give her a hug, or whatever it is you humans do to make each other feel better."

Adrien took a deep breath and pulled the door open. However, he couldn't bring himself to sneak in. "Marinette," he called. "Can I come in?"

There was a sound of papers shuffling and a thud.

"Marinette? Are you okay?"

When he didn't get an answer, he dropped into the room, scanning it for his partner. He chuckled at the sight of her legs flailing across the room. Apparently she tripped over her chaise. He bounded over and helped her up.

"Oh, hi," Marinette squeaked out. Her legs gave out at his close proximity and she sat down hard on her chaise.

Adrien sat next to her. "Hi. I'm sorry about all that. It could have gone a lot better." He hesitated. "Are you. . . upset that it's me?"

"What? No! How could I be? Not only are you Adrien and perfect and wonderful, but you're a hero too! I trust you more than anyone else, you're my best friend."

Adrien wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Marinette stiffened for a moment before relaxing and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Aw!"

"Tikki! You have to be quiet or else we can't spy on them!"

"You're being just as loud as I am! And now they know we're here!"

Marinette and Adrien laughed at their friends' less than subtle attempt at eavesdropping.

"I'm so tired," she said. "Plagg had me running all over Paris trying to find you, you know."

"I wondered why you weren't in school. But I don't know why he did that. He should have known I would be in class."

Plagg snickered. "One of my better pranks, I must admit. I just pointed you toward the nearest poster with his picture on it. They're all over Paris. I'm surprised you didn't notice."

Marinette glared at the small cat-like creature as Adrien stifled a laugh.

"I suppose now isn't the time to ask if you wanted to switch kwami?" he asked. "Tikki and I got along quite well."

"Don't even think about it, chaton," Marinette warned. "We are not switching kwami ever again."

"I guess we'll have to call this one a tie," Tikki whispered to Plagg.

"Just you wait. I'll win the next one."

* * *

 **And that's that.**

 **Thanks for sticking around for this story, I hope it lived up to your expectations. Sadly, none of the reviews correctly guessed what Plagg was doing to poor Marinette, but some of you got close and I was impressed by how creative some of the guesses were (also how much research some of you did-Wow!).**

 **Thanks, as always, to star-eye for beta-reading and encouraging me (also for coming up with the puns I used in chapter 4).**

 **Don't worry, ML fans, I've got ideas for two more stories in this fandom. I'll try to start them ASAP.**

 **Thanks for stopping by and reading Hide and Seek!**

 **Catch ya later, lovelies!**

 **-FD**


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